Using Incentives, Unleashing Utilities
Gerry Yurkevicz is a senior advisor to the CEO of Energy Infrastructure Partners. He is a retired partner from the Energy Practice at Oliver Wyman.
The electric heat pump is clearly one of the solutions to get us going down the right path toward net zero emissions. It feels like the right time to be asking good questions on electrification, so we act and spend smartly — to try to do it right the first time.
The specifics of the federal Inflation Reduction Act are being worked out. Newly elected governors are beginning their work. Local action is starting. Lexington, Massachusetts, where I live, is starting the Lexington HeatSmart initiative..
Most scenarios depend in some way on electric heating options to get the world to net zero emissions by 2050. The International Energy Association projects that heat pumps, low-carbon district energy, and renewables-based heating need to exceed fifty percent of world sales to meet future emission goals.
Many states in the U.S. are relying on heat pumps to drive the energy transition. We have a lot to do before heat pumps go mainstream to help meet our ambitions.
Most people instinctively know what a warm-air furnace is. It resides in the basement and delivers cozy warm heat with a comforting swoosh.